Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 103 The King Asks for Advice!

The night is falling and the sky is dotted with stars.

Jiang Zhao, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, with a gold talisman and fish-shaped pouch, strode into the palace.

Emperor Zhao Zhen summoned him specifically!
Royal study room.

"Cough cough!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Zhao Zhen coughed a few times, held the memorial in his hand, and continued to write his comments in vermilion ink.

As people get older, their health deteriorates.

"Your Majesty, Pacification Commissioner Jiang requests an audience," said Li Qi, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, as he stepped forward to announce.

People are coming!
Zhao Zhen paused with his vermilion brush, then rested it on the brush holder: "Let him in."

Less than ten breaths later, Jiang Zhao entered.

Looking around, one could see only Emperor Zhao Zhen and a few eunuchs and palace maids; there were no other officials.

A private audience!

Jiang Zhao was taken aback.

The emperor summoned him specifically, so there must be something important to discuss.

However, no other officials were summoned.

In other words, other officials can't get involved in this matter?
Xihe Frontier!

Or perhaps it's about the crown prince!
These are the only two things that other officials find difficult to interfere with.

When it comes to matters concerning the frontier, apart from the Pacification Commissioner, no matter how much other officials discuss them, it's all just empty talk.

Regarding the matter of the crown prince, he gave advice to the "good grandson".

The matter of the good grandson was related to the throne, and both the emperor and his minister tacitly agreed never to mention it.

Jiang Zhao had some suspicions in his heart, but remained calm and respectfully bowed: "Your humble servant Jiang Zhao greets Your Majesty."

"No gift."

Zhao Zhen sat upright in the main seat and waved his hand, saying, "Sit down."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhao stood up, straightened his posture, and sat down.

At the same time, Zhao Zhen took a memorial from a corner of his desk, handed it to an eunuch to present, and then passed it on to him.

Jiang Zhao quickly began to read it.

The messenger of the memorial was Zhang Fu, the Duke of England.

Your humble servant Zhang Fu respectfully reports:

I humbly submit this report, given the weighty responsibilities on the frontier. I have been appointed to guard the seven prefectures of Xihe, and have been vigilant day and night, never daring to slacken my efforts. Recently, I received news from the border that the Tibetan chieftain, Gusiluo, passed away in Qingtang City on the day of Bingxu this month. His followers are now in turmoil, with numerous rebellions breaking out.

Then, Zhang Fu mainly described the situation in Tibet.

When Gusiluo passed away, his business was passed on to his youngest son, Dongzhan.

However, the children of the deceased eldest son, Xiazhan, and the second son, Mojiaozhan, were not very obedient to Dongzhan, and there were subtle signs that they were going to rebel against their uncle.

The adopted sons of Gusiluo also seemed to have an ambiguous attitude, with a hint of a struggle for the family business.

In comparison, Dong Zhan's qualifications are indeed not up to par.

He had neither outstanding prestige nor outstanding achievements; he was simply a second-generation heir who inherited the family business due to his mother's favor.

The internal strife in Tibet caused a significant chain reaction.

The tea-horse trade, in particular, was significantly affected.

The internal strife made Tibetan merchants afraid to move around recklessly, lest they be caught in the crossfire.

In addition, it also involves the struggle between the pro-Zhou faction and the pro-Xia faction.

hiss~!

Jiang Zhao's heart sank.

The memorial was not long, but it contained all the essential points that needed to be explained.

Qusiluo was almost universally recognized as the "Zanpu" of Tibet. Whether in terms of seniority or tribal strength, he was a top-tier figure in Tibet.

Originally, Tibet was already embroiled in internal strife and division.

With the death of Qusiluo, the Tibetan tribes were leaderless and completely without anyone to suppress them.

Dong Zhan alone, along with his grandsons and adopted sons, comprised nearly ten tribes.

In addition, there are some tribes that existed originally.

A rough estimate suggests there could be twenty or thirty tribes.

Without a leader, some fools with little political acumen might actually attempt to advance eastward.

"The Xihe route expanded to seven prefectures, stretching the territory to an extremely long extent."

Zhao Zhen stood with his hands behind his back and pondered, "The border army has 200,000 troops and must defend Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road. In particular, the territory of Xihe Road is unstable and no one is stationed there permanently. With the strength of the Duke of Yingguo alone, it is really impossible to be in two places at once."

"I will depart soon for the frontier," Jiang Zhao replied hastily.

The Xihe route almost cuts through the borders of Western Xia and Tibet, resulting in an exceptionally long territory. The Duke of Ying, in command of the army, had to defend against Western Xia via the Shaanxi route while also keeping an eye on the Xihe route.

If the Tibetan tribes were to actually advance eastward, the battle lines would be too long, and information transmission would take time. There was a risk that they might be able to "remotely control" the battlefield.

If remote command succeeds, people might even praise him as a great general.

But if it doesn't work out, then they'll be nailed to the pillar of shame.

We've only recently acquired this territory; if we were to lose it, we'd be condemned for all time.

Therefore, it's no wonder that the British public was panicking.

(As shown in the picture: the territory is really long, basically sandwiched in the middle, beyond the reach of the whip)
Zhao Zhen nodded slowly.

He summoned Jiang Zhao specifically for this matter.

"What is your explanation for governing Xihe, Minister Jiang?" Zhao Zhen asked calmly.

The situation on the frontier can be urgent, but it's not so urgent either.

With Jiang Zhao's abilities, since he can expand territory, he can also guard it.

The Tubo Kingdom is in turmoil, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, it is unlikely to cause any major upheavals.

In comparison, Zhao Zhen was more interested in Jiang Zhao's policies and strategies.

Of course, this was also the procedure when high-ranking officials were transferred to other regions.

Discussions between the ruler and his ministers are the way to govern the world.

A powerful regional official controls the livelihoods of millions.

If this were during the late Han Dynasty, he would definitely be a feudal lord.

In a ruling region, the regional governors wield almost absolute power.

If the governance is poor, officials may force the people to rebel, which could destabilize the very foundation of the country.

Therefore, any high-ranking official in charge of a region deserves the emperor's serious attention.

The saying that officials in the capital are one rank higher does not apply to high-ranking officials in charge of a region.

Jiang Zhao was not a high-ranking official, but he exercised the power and responsibilities of one.

There are some questions that need to be asked.

Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment and replied, "We should defend our territory with weapons, govern to ensure peace and harmony, and integrate the Han and non-Han peoples to stabilize our borders."

Throughout history, newly conquered territories have always been highly unstable.

If you're not careful, someone might snatch it back.

The same applies to the seven prefectures of Xihe.

The main factor leading to instability is the issue of the sense of belonging among the Tibetan and Western Xia people.

Although the Tibetan and Western Xia troops withdrew from the seven prefectures of Xihe, many ordinary people still remained.

Compared to soldiers, ordinary people may never leave their small town in their entire lives.

Border troops, in their expansion of territory, would never actually carry out large-scale massacres of innocent civilians.

The land of barbarians has a very different way of life from that of the Han people.

For these people, there was absolutely no sense of belonging when Han Chinese were in power.

If the Tibetan and Western Xia border armies were to return, those innocent civilians could become spies and collaborators.

If a culture doesn't identify with it, even if it occupies a place for a hundred years, it won't make much difference.

Once a tribe gains power, it naturally gains recognition, and a single success can allow it to reclaim its territory.

This is an issue that must be taken seriously.

To truly stabilize the territory, the only way is to integrate the cultures of the Han and non-Han peoples, establish academies, encourage the children of high-ranking tribal leaders to attend school, and implement assimilation policies.

"Perhaps we could implement a land reclamation policy, encourage intermarriage between Han and non-Han peoples, promote tea and horse trade, and achieve economic integration."

The policy of military colonization allowed the army to achieve a certain degree of self-sufficiency in resources.

Otherwise, no nation can withstand the drain of prolonged warfare.

The daily rations for hundreds of thousands of troops are astronomical.

The only way to achieve food security is through land reclamation.

Intermarriage between Han and non-Han peoples is the most classic and effective way to resolve Han conflicts.

Compared to nomadic civilizations, agricultural civilizations are far more advanced.

Once married, daily life, coupled with the influence of Confucianism, takes place.

The results will be visible within three to five years.

If this continues for more than twenty years, and a generation is replaced, the territory can be completely stabilized.

Zhao Zhen nodded in satisfaction.

These approaches are, at least in general, without any problems.

(End of this chapter)